


A new beginning

by Xyrias_Sol



Category: Anastasia - Flaherty/Ahrens/McNally
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-30
Updated: 2017-09-30
Packaged: 2019-01-07 04:10:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12225486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xyrias_Sol/pseuds/Xyrias_Sol
Summary: The scene after The Neva Flows/Still (Reprise), but what if Anya had more reservations towards Gleb leaving for Russia and offers him a different option.





	A new beginning

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfiction, that possibly will get some more chapters. I've wrote it so it could stay a one-shot, but I've thought of a way I could continue it if I find the time. Anya/Dmitry will stay mentioned though, I have no intention for Dmitry to make an appearance later on. So don't read if you expect that to happen.  
> Sadly I haven't seen the musical so this is solely based on the OBC recording, what I could glimpse on YouTube and what I've read on Tumblr.  
> English isn't my native language, so I apologise for any mistakes and if you're bored and want to point out every mistake I made, I'd be happy with it.  
> The same applies to the historical accuracy. I have to admit that I don't know much about Russian history and only researched a bit. This is a fanfiction, so it won't be the most historical accurate anyway, but if I made a grave mistake, please point it out to me.

The gun is pointed at her head now. It's easy, he tells himself. Just shoot! Just pull the trigger and finish what your father started all those years ago!  
But his heart stills his finger. Why?, it asks him. Nothing more, but this simple why weights heavier than the gun. His mother's words echo in his ears: “He died of shame.” Shots, so many shots, and their screams. It all echoes in his ears now.  
I can't do it, he realises as he looks into her blue eyes. The Romanov eyes. They are so fierce, challenge him to do it, to end this. She's so proud, he thinks. As proud as I was to call myself my father's son.  
He can't hear the cluttering of the gun as it falls to the ground. He just falls with it.  
Why can't I do it?, he wonders. If any of his subordinates behaved the way he did now, he would shoot himself and have a long conversation with the man afterwards. Probably even fire him.  
So why can't he shoot Anastasia?  
Because it's wrong, his heart tells him. His heart that he had kept dormant for so long, never listened to it, when it tried to speak to him. Because my feeling don't matter, he had always told himself. Everything I do is for the better of Russia, so the people will have it better. I'm just a soldier doing my duty. It doesn't matter what happens to me.  
He tries to convince himself with these words again, and for a moment he thinks he can do it. Pick up the gun and shoot. But then her hand settles on his head. Her soft hand, trying to comfort him. Him! Why is she doing that? How can she even touch me? The son of the man, who killed her family.  
She just had to. Seeing that proud man, who always stood tall and intimidated those around him, now defeated on the ground, plagued by his own emotions, had reminded her of herself. So long she's been lost, not knowing where she belonged to. He's just a different kind of lost. Kept in the shackles of his past so long, that he's lost once he's free and she lost together with her memories after what happened in Yekaterinburg.  
She just tries to give back the kindness he once showed her in St Petersburg. That time when she was lost and he not. Now their roles are reversed.  
But after she doesn't get a reaction from him, Anya starts moving away. She still has to find Dmitry after all.  
She's surprised when he takes her hand into his, fearing he's changed his mind after all and trying to keep her from going. But he just looks up to her, the conflict and helplessness still in his eyes, and says: “I do believe you are Anastasia.”  
Gleb doesn't know exactly why he said that. He just knew, that it was true. His mind goes numb after that. He's afraid. What will I do now?  
“What will you do now?”, Anastasia asks after a few seconds of silence between herself and Gleb. He has gotten up from his crouching position on the floor and picked up the gun. Again fear takes a hold of her, but all he does is hide the gun underneath his jacket once more.  
Gleb shakes his head helplessly. “I don't know. I suppose I go back and tell them I'm not my father's son after all”, he finally says after having been silent for a few seconds. His voice sounds flat, resigned, void of any emotions. The great Deputy Commissioner Gleb Vaganov sounds defeated.  
“You can't, they'll kill you”, she can't believe he's so naive to think, that he can just go back to his old life and pretend Anastasia never existed. They won't let him get away with it.  
“I suppose so”, Gleb simply says and turns to leave. Anya stops him, holding him by the arm, just like he did only a few moments ago.  
He resists to pull his arm out of her surprisingly strong grasp. It burns like a heavy burden. But as much as it burns, it also warms his heart. His heart, that he has kept cold for so long. He can't decide whether it's a good thing or not.  
“You can't”, she says. She knows what his father did. She can only guess at everything he did to become Deputy Commissioner and stay in this position. Only moments ago he tried to shoot her, just because she was born in the wrong family. But she's seen enough death now. Enough suffering caused by the hands of the Bolsheviki. Even though he is – was? – one of them, he doesn't deserve that fate. In a way, he's just as haunted as she is. She has seen it, as she looked into his eyes, while his gun was pointed at her.  
Bewildered he turns back to her and asks: “Why? Isn't that what you want?”  
“No, I don't want anybody dead! I've seen enough death!”, Anya says angrily. How can he think that of her?  
“What other options do I have, Any...Anastasia? Stay here and do, what? No, I have to go home. I didn't do my duty and now I have to face the consequences.”  
“You still think it would have been the right thing to shoot me?”, Anastasia asks outraged, lets go of Gleb's arm and steps back from him. It's only now, as the hand isn't on his arm any longer, that he knows he had wanted it to stay there.  
“Yes. No! I don't know any more”, he droops and tries to leave again. He can't bear to stay.  
“Don't you dare! Don't you dare to just walk away from this! You're just as cowardly as you're father was as he closed his eyes, when he shot. Unable to look us in the eyes, but too cowardly to disobey his orders.”  
Gleb turns around, anger flashing in his eyes.  
“My father was not a coward!”  
“Then prove to me you're not as well. Come with me, Gleb. Come with me and Dmirty.” She doesn't know why she's offering him this. But she knows it's the right thing to do, because he's right. What can he do? He can't go back to Russia, but all alone in France he would be dead as much as there. Maybe that's even the worse fate: to be all alone and dead on the inside.  
Dmitry won't be happy about this, she thinks, but holds out her hand nonetheless.  
She can see how torn he is, his mind and heart at war in his eyes. To the last second she isn't sure which side of him will win, but she smiles as his hand slides into hers.  
“Come, we have to find Dmitry”, she says and together they walk out into the streets of Paris.  
To an unknown future.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments are always appreciated, however short they are.


End file.
